by Chris Strauss, USA TODAY Sports

by Chris Strauss, USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah started doing his "six-shooter celebration" earlier this year, where he occasionally would mimic firing a gun like an Old West cowboy after scoring a basket. After last Friday's tragic shootings in Newtown, Conn., Noah has holstered his fake gun for good.

"I started doing it in practice," Noah said after recording a triple-double in a 100-89 victory against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. "I hit a jump shot in Keith Bogans' face, and I started doing (it) and kept doing it and it was kind of a funny, comical thing, but I guess we're in a situation right now where it's not funny. You can't joke around with things like that. Too many people are dying because of guns. We have a problem here with guns, so (I'm) just trying to be a little bit compassionate about what's going on. You can't joke around -- it's not a laughing matter anymore."

Noah, who achieved the second triple-double of his career Tuesday, previously has worked with groups in Chicago to try and stop the city's growing gang violence. He wrote about the experience for the Chicago Sun-Times in September.

Noah is one of many athletes and coaches who have shared their reaction to the Newtown tragedy and honored the victims.